


One problem at a time

by Piff



Series: Bye Bye Birdy [10]
Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Gen, I have no idea what to tag for this, Jack is a duckling, Nightmares are awesome, Pitch is a good guy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-17
Updated: 2014-01-17
Packaged: 2018-01-09 02:00:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1140115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piff/pseuds/Piff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No relationship starts off perfectly, there's always some rough edges to smooth out (or learn to tolerate).</p>
            </blockquote>





	One problem at a time

**Author's Note:**

> I hemmed and hawed for hours whether these should be three mini chapters or one large chunk. I didn't like putting them up as separate one-shots because they all fit together in a theme. But tiny chapters can be annoying...All together it is!

Contrary to popular belief by the assortment of spirits and Guardians, Jack and Pitch had not been an instantly perfect team. The sprite, when Pitch had first plucked him out of a blizzard, had been more feral than civilized and Pitch, known by one and all as the Nightmare King, was most definitely not accustomed to someone constantly clamoring for his attention.

It was actually a fight for every inch, especially in the beginning when Jack was frustrated with the tall, thin man’s refusal to acknowledge Jack’s questions. He could see Jack, and reacted to the occasional snowball in ways not to be forgotten and even talked AT Jack occasionally, yet he disregarded anything Jack said in response! 

It was driving Jack insane that ‘What’s That?’ got no different feedback than ‘Happy Day!’ The looks he got for a delighted I’m Alive! was exactly the same for a squawked Danger! Danger!. The man couldn’t possibly be deaf; he obviously could hear Jack and shushed him often. And he got very twitchy around bells.

\--

Jack trailed after him, Pitch wasn’t it?, until he lost the man to a dark wall. He had simply... vanished. Into thin air. Which wasn’t –fair- and Jack had searched for him for so long! For all that he never talked in actual conversation with Jack, he could SEE Jack and that was enough to make the boy go hunting but... but... This was just –mean-.

For the moment Jack perched himself on top of the wall, a brick barricade separating a large park from the street, and rubbed at his eyes. He wasn’t used to all this night-time ramblings; he was in the habit to roost when the sun went down. He had a lovely little tree just outside of-

Jack didn’t notice the hand grabbing the back of his cloak until he tumbled out of the shadow on the other side, spilling head over heels with a loud screech. Thoroughly ruffled by this move, Jack scrambled back onto his feet, staff pointed at Pitch threateningly as he scolded the man. But even now he refused to acknowledge what Jack was saying! It was infuriating! Jack actually stomped a foot at the man.

Of course things only got more bizarre when his threat was disregarded and his chin was gripped tightly between boney fingers, Pitch peering into his mouth while tilting Jack’s head back with his other hand against a pale forehead.

“So you do have a tongue...”

Jack tried to bite him because OF COURSE HE DID! Jerk!

 

* * * * * * * * * * * 

 

The habit of cuddling up on the couch in Pitch’s expansive library had not been instantaneous, not by a long shot. Not for years.

The first time Jack fell asleep slumped against Pitch’s side, his only thought had been ‘GET IT OFF!’ After that came an incredulous “he dares fall asleep HERE?’ 

Frozen in place with a finger still pointing out a certain passage on the page they had been going over, Pitch found himself trying to lean away from Jack. This only caused the boy to slide further against him until eventually Pitch was sitting squashed against a couch arm with Jack taking up the rest, arms and legs strewn over the cushions. 

Pitch swiftly came to the decision that the lessons could end early today; the boy was obviously tired and it would be useless to try cramming any more information into his head. His diction was improving daily, and that was all Pitch could really ask for. So after standing by the couch for a long, awkward moment (What did one DO with a sleeping sprite?) Pitch left the boy there to rest, smacking the snout of a Nightmare when it looked a little too interested. 

“Leave him be.”

\--

The second, third, and countless times after followed much the same way. Being up at dawn each day usually meant Jack passed out during what was still early afternoon for Pitch, moon barely in the sky. And considering that when Jack was awake he tended to follow Pitch around like a hatchling duck and twice as noisy, the Nightmare King was pretty pleased with this. Plenty of time to visit his handful of believers and attempt to gather more before the sprite woke to once more dog Pitch’s every step. Pitch was not entirely certain how he felt about that yet. It was annoying and yet... satisfying.

In fact, the system worked so well nothing would have changed at all if not for a certain rabbit finding himself with too much time on his paws and deciding to make up for it by harassing Pitch. It did not take long for Pitch to decide the easiest solution was to not go out at all, since being followed by a trigger-happy rabbit was far, far different from being followed by an inquisitive sprite.

A sprite who had not made himself present during the fuss, which Pitch found himself oddly grateful for. Jack was so small and young; the rabbit so bad-tempered and judgmental, the boy could have very easily been hurt. Perhaps even killed. Why that worried Pitch was a question he rolled over in his mind before realizing that yet again, Jack had fallen asleep during the lesson. And this time Pitch was already wedged into the corner of the couch, unable to get free without dumping the boy onto the floor. And... what the hell. 

Pitch gently curled an arm around the sprite’s back and settled in for a quiet evening of reading. 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * 

 

After spending time with Jack, or Jack spending his time around Pitch (there was a difference!), Pitch was soon able to pick out the taste of Jack’s fear from others. This made it handy when trying to find his- THE sprite, but it was not so handy when Jack was trying to find Pitch.

Not that it was a perfect system even for that much, as by the time Pitch realized Jack was in trouble and needed help, it was over. And sometimes very badly. He still could not think about the firedrakes without his blood going cold, and Jack would barely leave Pitch’s side; all but glued to his hip. Pitch could not blame the child at all either, it had been a truly horrifying experience and Pitch wanted it to never happen again.

It was while glaring at the great globe, at the tiny flickering lights that signified believers, when he had an epiphany. The globe had been just the thing to nudge his thoughts in the right direction for it reminded him of some key facts. 

Pitch used his shadows to travel from believer to believer, strengthening his hold on their fears. His Nightmares were used to do the same, as Pitch was only one spirit with many children to frighten. His Nightmares could be large or small, squirming out of any shadow available. 

Any. Shadow. Available.

\---

Jack hopped up onto the crook of his staff to watch the battle, yet another successful snowball fight all thanks to him! Willing to just watch, waiting for the fight to slow down or for one side to start getting seriously trampled, Jack stuffed his hands into his hoody pocket with a grin. 

Only to have his fingers nipped by large, sharp teeth. 

“Hey! Easy there!” First looking his hands over for any permanent damage, Jack squinted at the sun to take a guess at the time. “Oh... right. Time to get back home huh?” 

Jack jumped down from the staff, slinging it over his shoulder as he strolled off whistling Mary Had a Little Lamb.

**Author's Note:**

> I love the Nightmares so. Much. And the idea of one living in Jack's hoody-pocket took a hold of my brain and wouldn't let go.


End file.
